Current Affairs

13th March 2009

11:54 AM — PinkNews.co.uk exclusive
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Minister for Equality, Harriet Harman has said that the expected low turn-out in the European elections may lead to the "pressing forward of the far right" with groups such as the BNP gaining seats in the European parliament.

12th March 2009

3:12 PM — The next US census, to be carried out next year, will not ask about sexual orientation or recognise gay marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships. If two men or two women who live together list themselves as husband and husband, or wife and wife, they will be counted as unmarried partners.

11:54 AM — A lesbian student in Indiana, US, has sued her school after she was banned from wearing a tuxedo at a prom. The 17-year-old, who has not been named, does not wear dresses because she sees them as expressing a sexual identity she does not embrace, court filings said.

11:04 AM — A bill to repeal a 1977 ruling against gays and lesbians adopting in Florida, US, has been introduced. It is sponsored by state senator Nan Rich, a Democrat from Weston, who is introducing another bill to grant judges the discretion to determine adoptions solely on “the best interests” of the child.

11th March 2009

5:54 PM — Nigerian activists have said that a new bill outlawing same-sex marriage will lead to increased arrests and abuse of anyone suspected to be gay. Gay sex is already an imprisonable offence in the country, but the new bill would make it illegal for gay couples to live together.

2:42 PM — A bill to bring the Isle of Man in line with the rest of the UK on gender recognition has unanimously passed its first reading in the Legisative Council. The Gender Recognition bill is being enacted to conform to the latest European Court of Human Rights rulings and updates the law to the new identities of post-op trans people.

1:11 PM — An official in the city of Rīga, Latvia, has called for religious groups to 'ignore' the city's upcoming Pride march, saying that scant attention may dissuade organisers from holding future events.

12:44 PM — A Tel Aviv family court has ruled that a gay couple can adopt the son they took in 14 years ago. Uzi Even and Amit Kama, who married in 1994 in Canada, are the first same-sex male couple in the country whose right of adoption has been legally acknowledged.

11:25 AM — More information has come through on teenager William Wright, who went missing after a night out with friends in Manchester's gay village at the weekend. William, 19, from Crick, Wales, was last seen by his friends at 4:20am on Saturday, March 7th outside the View bar on Canal Street.

10:36 AM — The Islington registrar who refused to carry out civil partnerships has been denied leave to appeal against the latest ruling. Lillian Ladele, 48, from Finsbury, was threatened with the sack after she told Islington borough council she could not carry out the ceremonies due to her Christian beliefs.

10th March 2009

5:57 PM — Openly gay Iowa state Senator Matt McCoy (Democrat) has introduced legislation that would make civil marriages in Iowa gender neutral. The bill would remove words such as 'husband' and 'wife' from the state's laws, replacing them with 'spouse'.

5:28 PM — Leading mental health organisations in Vermont, US, have come out in support of gay marriage, claiming it will validate relationships, increase benefits for the families and could reduce discrimination.

1:54 PM — A survey of UK teachers has found a "deeply alarming" amount of homophobia in schools. The report, released today by Stonewall, is the largest ever survey of both primary and secondary school teachers on the issue of homophobic bullying.

1:27 PM — Domestic abuse campaigners have said that plans for a new consultation on the issue must take into account abuse in same-sex relationships. According to figures, one in four LGBT people will experience domestic violence or abuse.

12:03 PM — A shooting outside a lesbian bar in Baltimore has left one woman dead and two injured. According to local police, an argument on the dance floor at the Coconuts Cafe downtown in the Mount Vernon neighborhood spilled outside after closing time.

11:40 AM — The government has announced that protection under the forthcoming Equality bill will be extended to trans pupils. Previously, trans school pupils were not protected due to government policy that said the right of parents or guardians to take a case to court on discrimination grounds is unlikely to help very difficult situations and may not be in the best interests of the child.

11:19 AM — A New York group protesting against a number of arrests of gay men in adult business for allegedly "loitering for the purpose of prostitution" has met with the District Attorney for Manhattan. Members of the Coalition to Stop the Arrests held a meeting with DA Robert Morgenthau after around 30 men were arrested.

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